The NESSENTIALS

The Coppa Club at Tower Bridge has opened its terrace and “famous igloos” to outdoor diners in accordance with government guidance since Monday. Today Mike and I went for dinner there – our first Step 2 outing!

Getting there

It was easy to get to, only a 5-minute walk from Tower Gateway station (we took the Docklands Light Railway for max air circulation) and right next to the pier for the riverboat service.

Reservation timing

We arrived at 18:15, and our reservation was at 18:30. Presumably to avoid it being crowded we were asked to return at the time of our reservation, so we walked along the embankment to bide our time.

Order timing/menu choices

Looking forward to this, as usual, Mike and I had checked the menu before. We were offered tap water right away, and we were able to place our order immediately as well. I ordered the Coppa Sour and Mike volunteered to try the Hibiscus Margarita.

At the same time we agreed to share a garlic bread (adding cheese after being prompted by our attendant), and for the main course I asked for a small portion of the Devon crab linguine, while Mike was persuaded to upsize his choice from a small plate of fried chicken and a side of skinny fries to a Coppa burger (cooked pink) which comes with a side of skinny fries, and the small plate of fried chicken.

The cheesy garlic bread arrived within 10 minutes of ordering. It was perfect, with stringy cheese evoking pizza, and yet the bread had a crispy airiness to it. Extra salt and parsley on top added to the savoury note.

Our main course arrived about 20 minutes after our plate had been cleared from the starter. The fried chicken had a fine breadcrumb coat with a bit of a spicy note, as did the accompanying dipping sauce. I appreciated Mike’s seeded burger bun more than he did, but he was happy with his order too, as I was with my crab pasta – though it was a tad unpleasant biting into 2 lemon pips in my last bites of the meals.

Mike excused himself in between and wait staff noticed our empty table quickly, with 2 different staff members asking if everything was to our taste and whether they could bring the pudding menu (which I accepted). It would have been nice if they hadn’t just cleared the plates but also empty glasses – or at least offered tap water refills.

On the other hand the cold was more noticeable at this point – around 45 minutes into our booking – so I had borrowed Mike’s gloves, having forgotten mine. So when Mike returned I was glad to be able to order a mug of breakfast tea, while we took the sharing approach to dessert, with a warm pecan pie accompanied by honeycomb ice cream. Mike preferred keeping things cool so ordered his own Coppa Sour. We also asked to pay the bill right away, so we could walk away without worries once we were finished.

The total came to roughly £85, including a 12.5% service charge which was automatically included in the bill, in a separate section.

Extras/miscellaneous

• I didn’t need the facilities so can’t say anything about those, I’m afraid, but Mike couches for the men’s being well maintained and modern
• There was music audible in the background but it was very easy keeping a conversation without needing to raise your voice, even with many neighbours
• Staff would provide blankets to patrons that asked for them
• If you want to book an “igloo”, a metal circular frame with glass panels and lighting within, that would ordinarily shut but have been kept open for ventilation, you need to meet a minimum spend

Verdict

We will return, but will likely wait for warmer temperatures, and may not be so shy about requesting blankets. Mike reckons he might meet minimum spend requirements if he visited with a group of his friends as well, so may look into booking an igloo at the time.